KTBB News, Weather, Talk

AUSTIN — The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has identified Title I schools and charters eligible for additional federal funding to strengthen performance on its campuses, and a number of those schools are in Kilgore-based Region VII. According to KETK, the identification is a component of the state’s conditional waiver from the U.S. Department of Education to specific provisions of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), commonly known as the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act of 2001. Continue reading 10 Area School Districts to Get Funding to Boost Programs

TYLER — Centene Corporation, a St. Louis-based medical insurance group, cut the ribbon Tuesday on its new Tyler claims center. Centene has had a Tyler presence for a little over 18 months. But Tom Mullins (pictured) of the Tyler Economic Development Council says the new facility allows Centene to ramp up to 325 employees, with the capacity to double its space and add more workers. Mullins says, “It’s a great project for Tyler, and it’s the anchor project for the new technology park on Earl Campbell Parkway and the Southwest Loop.” The facility includes a day care center. It’s a $15 million investment serving about 15 states.

LONGVIEW — A Pine Tree ISD student died over the weekend as a result of a sudden illness. According to KETK, the student has been identified as Kendra Gonzales, a 10th grader. The illness that took her life has not been named. Continue reading Pine Tree Student Died From Illness

BRINKLEY, Ark. (AP) – Authorities say a Texas woman was killed in a crash on Interstate 40 in eastern Arkansas. Arkansas State Police say 35-year-old Pattie Collier of Mount Pleasant, Texas, died in the crash Sunday on I-40 in Monroe County. According to a preliminary report, a truck driving west was towing a trailer that bounced across the median and into oncoming traffic. A preliminary report says the trailer struck Collier’s truck, which was traveling east on the interstate. Collier was pronounced dead at the scene. The driver of the other vehicle wasn’t injured in the crash.

BULLARD — A crowd gathered at Bullard High School Sunday evening for a candlelight vigil in honor of a local mother and daughter killed in a Northern Cherokee County crash. KETK reports hundreds of family members, friends, teachers, and students huddled together Sunday to remember their good friends. The vigil started and ended in prayer and gave friends and loved ones a chance to say goodbye. Continue reading Vigil Held after Wreck Near Bullard Kills Two

TYLER — A one vehicle accident in Tyler has sent a man to East Texas Medical Center in critical condition. KETK reports the accident happened shortly after 5:00 Sunday afternoon in the 4900 block of Kinsey Drive. Police indicate the man was not wearing his seat belt when his car left the road and hit a tree. His name has not been released.

LONGVIEW — A man accused of aggravated sexual assault of a child is in the Gregg County Jail under a $50,000 bond. After he was found to be harboring a runaway child, Longview Police arrested Jaquavious Williams, 19. KETK reports Williams has also been charged with evading arrest with a previous conviction.

TYLER — Here’s a quick look at other work planned in the Tyler District of the Texas Department of Transportation.

SMITH COUNTY – Texas Department of Transportation maintenance crews this week are scheduled to continue edge repairs on Farm Road 2710 between Farm Road 16 in Lindale and Farm Road 14 near Red Springs. Daytime lane closures will be in effect while the work is in progress, and flaggers will control traffic. Continue reading TxDOT Project Updates

TYLER — A Tyler man has received a golden bell and has gone in the record books with two other men. Andre Thompson received his award Saturday night for ringing a bell for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Drive for 105 hours. Thompson stood at the Walgreens Pharmacy on South Broadway and Reick Road from 11:00am on December 3rd to 8:00pm on December 7th. He took only a five minute break every hour. During that time, contributions totaled just over $14,000. Thompson tied with a bell ringer in California and one in Minnesota for the world record.

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler Police Department and the Tyler Police Department, in conjunction with the UT Tyler Office of Emergency Management, are conducting a full-scale emergency exercise today on the UT Tyler campus. The exercise, which began at 9:00 this morning and runs till noon, is designed to test the campus response to a potential armed intruder on campus. Persons on or around the campus may notice an increased police presence in conjunction with this exercise during the morning hours. Signs are posted alerting people around campus to the exercise in progress.

LONGVIEW — As a result of the 2011 drought, the City of Longview has lost many trees within the Grace Creek Drainage Corridor which includes the Paul Boorman Trail. Weather permitting, the Parks and Recreation Department and Public Works Department are combining forces this week to work throughout the property to cut, chip, or remove the downed trees. Continue reading Tree Work In Longview’s Grace Creek Drainage Area

WHITE OAK — A vacant building in White Oak is on fire. The fire is said to be in a duplex. White Oak police tell KETK they have blocked off White Oak Road and Ward Road to get to the fire. No other information is available at this time.

AUSTIN — Two East Texas hospitals are among nine in the state to be awarded $1.3 million in planning grants from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to assess the feasibility of establishing new graduate medical education programs at their facilities. The grants are part of $50 million appropriated by the 83rd Texas Legislature to boost funding for GME in Texas and increase access to physicians in underserved areas. The East Texas hospitals are Memorial Health System of East Texas in Lufkin and Hopkins County Memorial Hospital in Sulphur Springs. Continue reading Grants for Two Area Hospitals

TYLER — A downed tree caused a power outage to a portion of Tyler. The tree took down power lines on Front Street on Saturday. This in turn has caused a power outage in the area, including Harvey Hall. Oncor was notified and worked to restore the power. Roads in the area that had been blocked off because of traffic lights that were out, have been re-opened.

DIANA — One person has been killed in an Upshur County wreck. Dead at the scene was Grant Eberhart, 21, of Diana. The accident, around 7:15 Saturday morning, occurred on Highway 154 just west of U.S. Highway 259. The Department of Public Safety says the accident happened when Eberhart’s pickup left the road and he overcorrected.

KILGORE — A traffic stop has resulted in three arrests in Kilgore. It started as a routine traffic violation. The suspects were arrested when the officer found stolen and forged checks. The checks were from several banks and several victims. Taken into custody was Patty Jean Cox, 37, (pictured) Jenna Lee Taylor, 27 and Eric, L. Johnson, 24. All three are from Kilgore.

TYLER — Fall Commencement ceremonies continue today at the University of Texas at Tyler. Yesterday, ceremonies were held for the College of Nursing and Health Sciences and College of Arts and Sciences. This morning at 10:00 it will be the commencement ceremony for the College of Business and Technology. This afternoon at 1:00, the ceremony is for the Colleges of Education and Psychology and Engineering and Computer Science. Today’s commencement speaker is Nelson Clyde, publisher of the Tyler Morning Telegraph.

LONGVIEW — The Fall Commencement Ceremony at Longview’s LeTournaeu University will be this morning at 9:30. It will be held in the S.E. Belcher Jr. Chapel and Performance Center 2100 South Mobberly Avenue. The keynote speaker is Dr. Jerry E. White, international president and board chairman emeritus of the Navigators, a worldwide para-church organization that trains Christians to share their faith with others.

LUFKIN — A wounded man suspected of burglarizing a house near Lufkin has escaped a Houston hospital where he was being treated. KETK reports Cody Barnhill, 33, of Clute, was taken into custody Thursday night. Officials say Barnhill is on the run with bullets still in his back, wearing a hospital gown, and is barefoot. Angelina County Sheriff Greg Sanches says hospital employees told him Barnhill was still needing medical care. Sanches says Barnhill was found at a La Quinta hotel in Clute. He had been shot while allegedly burglarizing a house just north of Lufkin on Thursday afternoon. Despite the injury, he still reportedly managed to escape. Authorities say they eventually found Barnhill with a gunshot wound and several items that are believed to have been stolen from multiple locations.

TYLER — The events scheduled for yesterday at Holiday in the Park were cancelled due to rain. The Tyler Parks and Recreation Department had intended to have a “Snow Play” and “Kids Zone” in Bergfeld Park. All events scheduled for today will still go on as scheduled. Continue reading Friday Holiday in the Park Events Cancelled; Saturday Events Still Scheduled

TYLER — You might be heading out of town this weekend for the holidays, and maybe you’re excited to share it with your friends and family on Facebook and Twitter. But you might not be so cheerful when you come home to a burglarized house. Don Martin with the Tyler Police Department tells KETK it’s never a good idea to post where you’re going or when you’re leaving on social media. According to Martin, “If the public is doing a good job making sure they’re securing their home and having people watch out for them, then they’re normally not a victim of crime.” Martin suggests just sharing your travel plans with people face to face.

LONGVIEW — Longview city leaders are pushing for the use of cleaner fuel, and for you this means extra cash. KETK reports they plan to buy eight new garbage trucks that run on compressed natural gas. The fuel costs 75 percent less than the $3.70 per gallon diesel truck companies use right now. And this is good news for residents, who will face lower monthly bills. The trucks cost $310,000 each; the city will foot the bill. Sanitation and Fleet Services manager Dwayne Archer says, “We want to provide great service, and that’s the reason we chose the vehicle we did. And we have to be concerned with the environment and also the cost savings that we’re gonna see –so it’s a good picture for our customers all the way around.” The council votes on the fueling station in the next couple of weeks. Archer says the trucks should be on the road by early summer.

LINDALE — The man who led authorities on a manhunt in Smith County on Thursday night has been arrested while trying to break into a home on Friday morning, according to law enforcement officials. Smith County Precinct 5 Constable Kenneth Bibby tells KETK that Justin Langrum, 23, of Rowlett, was taken into custody around 9:30 Friday morning. Bibby says Langrum had been trying to break into the shop, which was alarmed. On Thursday, Langrum allegedly shoplifted from Walmart in Lindale. Officials say he walked out without paying and drove away in a stolen car, hitting another vehicle in the parking lot as he left. Continue reading Manhunt Suspect Arrested Allegedly Trying to Break into Homeowner’s Shop

RUSK — The Rusk Independent School District has initiated an internal investigation immediately after receipt on December 9 of an allegation of inappropriate communications between an educator and a student. KETK reports the educator was placed on administrative leave by the school district on December 10, pending the outcome of the district’s ongoing investigation. The name of the student, who is not enrolled in the Rusk ISD, is not being released.

AUSTIN (AP/Staff) – A 107-year-old World War II veteran was so shocked to meet a fellow veteran even older than him that he joked about having his birthday changed. Both men are from Texas and met in Austin. After seeing Richard Overton, Elmer Hill (pictured) exclaimed, “Well, I better move mine up a little bit!” Overton lives in Austin and is three months older than Hill, from Henderson. Both fought in the Pacific during World War II, but hadn’t met until Friday. The pair was all smiles as they warmly shook hands. Except for the horde of reporters nearby, they then enjoyed a quiet lunch. Overton was recently honored by President Barack Obama, and there are plans to also honor Hill in Washington. By some accounts, they are the oldest and second-oldest known veterans in the country.

TYLER — Tyler police report an officer directing traffic at an accident site on South Broadway was hit by a car Thursday night. The accident occurred in the 5700 block of South Broadway in front of Ryan’s Steakhouse. KETK reports when hit by the car, the officer was tossed upon the hood of the vehicle. The officer was not seriously injured.

TEXARKANA (AP) — A judge in Texarkana has unsealed a federal indictment naming eight people accused of operating as part of a methamphetamine ring that distributed the drug in Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Tennessee. The U.S. Attorney’s office and Bowie County District Attorney’s office announced Thursday that the two-year investigation dubbed “Operation M-Pact” had resulted in about 50 arrests, as well as the seizure of drugs, cash and weapons. The federal indictment unsealed Wednesday indicates the conspiracy dates to at least 2007. The investigation involved the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as numerous state and local agencies.

GILMER — A fire that burned through a Gilmer storage building on Thursday had been extinguished by mid-afternoon. Gilmer Fire Department officials tell KETK that the fire happened just after 11:00 a.m. at T&S Storage on the 200 block of South Wood Street. Authorities say there were at least three fire crews on scene and the Longview Fire Department was brought in to assist with a ladder truck. Gilmer fire officials report that the roadway was blocked while crews battled the blaze but was later reopened. No injuries were reported.

TYLER — An internationally known scientist who has received about $9 million in competitive grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) since 2000 has joined UT Health Northeast. Mitsuo Ikebe, Ph.D., will chair the Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology. In partnership with other UT Health biomedical researchers, he will help identify new ways to improve patient outcomes in diseases such as pulmonary fibrosis, lung infections, and cancer. Continue reading Internationally Respected Scientist Joins UT Health Northeast

HENDERSON — A Rusk County man who pleaded guilty to a charge of indecency with a child, a second degree felony, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in the Texas Department of Corrections. The maximum sentence for a second degree felony is 20 years in TDC. KETK reports that in 2007, Lyndon Hughes was placed on probation for a small amount of a controlled substance. As part of his probation, Hughes attended drug court. Thereafter, allegations were made that Hughes had committed sexual indecency with a child many years previously. Continue reading Former Most Wanted Fugitive Gets 15 Years for Indecency with Child